In the Shadows
by tinyinara
Summary: Ianto gives Jack a reminder to stop risking his life unnecessarily. Gwen enjoys the show from a distance. WARNING: Discipline fic. M/M spanking, so if you don't like that, then give this a miss! Contains very mild sexual implications.


**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own _Torchwood_, or any of the characters (sadly). No copyright infringement is intended and I am not making any profit from this story (again, sadly!)

**SUMMARY: **Ianto gives Jack a reminder to stop risking his life unnecessarily. Gwen enjoys the show.

**NOTE:** Written as a birthday present for a friend. Set during season 2, but there's no real spoilers, except for some very vague ones for the end of Doctor Who season 3.

**WARNING:** Discipline fic. Story contains consensual M/M spanking. If you don't like this sort of thing, then please don't read.

* * *

Ianto had always had a good head for figures (and a good figure for giving head, Jack had quipped once, in what Ianto had deemed a 'completely nonsensical attempt at coercive flattery'). Being good at remembering numbers had been useful in school, and again at work, and yet again when his workmates at Torchwood 1 had dragged him along to pub quizzes. But these days it seemed more like a burden.

Sitting in the Torchwood medical bay, holding Jack's chilled, lifeless hand as he lay still, Ianto cursed the fact that he could recall how long it had been til Jack had come back to life after the last few deaths. Six minutes. Nine minutes. Twenty-seven minutes. Thirteen minutes. An hour and ten minutes, after the really nasty incident with the venomous horn through the eye. Ianto could go back further, list more, but they all had something in common: they were shorter than the amount of time he'd been waiting today. And he cursed his brain for knowing that it had been months since it had taken Jack this long to resurrect; that it hadn't taken this long since Abaddon.

'Relax, Teaboy'. Owen was trying to be comforting, and failing. 'He'll be up and giving orders in no time. It's not like he's only got nine lives'.

Ianto sat bolt upright and felt his stomach turn over. He'd never thought of it before, but what if Jack had a limited number of lives? What if he'd only been granted a thousand, or two thousand, and he'd finally run out? What if –

There was a gasping, spluttering sound and suddenly the hand in Ianto's was warm again, and strong, and Ianto nearly collapsed with relief. He smiled at Jack, and Jack grinned back.

'Well, that was a nice rest,' Jack said lightly, sitting up easily and glancing down at his no-longer-punctured chest. He checked his watch and raised his eyebrows. 'Always good to have a little extra respite time'.

Ianto frowned, dropped Jack's hand and stepped back, folding his arms in front of him. 'Is that what you're calling it now Jack?'

Jack caught the odd tone in Ianto's voice and gave him a puzzled look, but before he could respond Gwen made her way into the med bay.

'Welcome back! Everything's sorted – the Gospord is sedated and down in the cells, and Tosh is finishing up the report'. Gwen grinned, always happy to see Jack looking newly-alive and, as she occasionally thought, extra-shiny.

'And Owen has finished cleaning Gospord slime off his shoes', Owen grumbled, 'But is ready to go home and exchange them for some new ones anyway'.

'Good work guys, you can all head home,' Jack replied. 'Let Tosh know she can complete the report tomorrow. I have other business to take care of tonight'. He raised his eyebrows suggestively at Ianto, and was surprised to find Ianto glaring steadily back at him.

* * *

'Go on then'.

'Go on then _what_?' Ianto snapped, cleaning up in Jack's office and clearing away things that didn't need clearing as Jack lounged in his chair and the rest of the team made their way out.

'Go on then, tell me what's got you so upset?' Jack asked, and found himself wishing that he hadn't as Ianto slammed down the stack of files in his hand and looked at him disbelievingly.

'Jack, how can you not know? Don't you recall telling me just two weeks ago that you'd be more careful when we were hunting? That you'd stop treating it like a game and actually start looking after yourself? I…I hate it. When you die. I hate it.'

Jack sat up straighter and opened his mouth to speak, but Ianto hadn't finished.

'And I know you say it's fine, and you always come back, but you've been doing this for years. You might be completely sure you're coming back, but this is new to me. And I'm the one who has to sit there and wait to see whether you make it or not!'

Jack got up swiftly and made his way around to Ianto, taking his face in his hands. 'I'm sorry. I am. I'm just not used to having someone who…cares. Someone waiting for me and holding my hand when I wake up.' Ianto let himself relax into Jack's hands, let himself enjoy the feel of Jack's thumb cresting his cheekbone and his fingers stroking the hair on the back of his neck. But then Jack started talking again.

'And it was really important that we catch the Gospord –'

'Jack! It was not! That species isn't violent unless it's threatened and you know it! You were just in the mood for a fight! If it had got away we could have continued tomorrow or later tonight and there would have been no problem.' Ianto pulled himself away and folded his arms, waiting.

Jack squirmed under Ianto's gaze. His point was uncomfortably close to the truth. There'd really been no pressing reason for him to launch himself at the creature's back as it retreated, and so get himself impaled on its retractable spikes. He hadn't wanted the case dragging on until tomorrow, but even he could see that was a pretty poor reason to make Ianto watch his heart get skewered. He knew that he'd been more reckless than ever recently – after a year of dying so many deaths, he'd got used to it, grown accustomed to the shadows, learned to deal with the way he was dragged back to life. But Ianto…Ianto had not.

'I'm sorry. Again.'

Ianto surveyed Jack coolly. He looked contrite, but Ianto was tired of saying the same thing over and over and Jack not paying much attention.

'Maybe I should reinforce the lesson,' he decided, dragging the chair in front of Jack's desk around so that it was in the centre of the office and seating himself in it.

Jack knew what that meant, and his face went from regretful to eager in a heartbeat, making Ianto roll his eyes. 'This is serious Jack, not play. And no sex. I want you to learn'. Ianto watched his lover's face fall a little, but not completely – Jack still adored it when he took charge, even if it didn't end the way Jack preferred. Besides, he'd been known to change Ianto's mind after a supposed 'punishment' spanking once or twice and was no doubt assuming he could do so again.

'Come on then,' Ianto ordered, patting his thigh, and Jack made his way to Ianto's side. He began to lower himself across Ianto's lap, but a hand on his chest stopped him. 'Trousers,' Ianto demanded.

Jack pouted. 'No warm up?'

'No warm up. Get them down'. Ianto wasn't in the mood for messing around.

'Fine,' Jack grumbled, undoing his belt and shoving his trousers down past his thighs. A meaningful glare from Ianto had him pushing his boxers down to join them. He spread himself over Ianto's knees, slightly more reluctant now as he started to realise that this was going to be decidedly less pleasant than usual.

Ianto smoothed his hand over Jack's backside before pulling him closer and wrapping an arm around his waist. 'Jack, I don't –' Ianto heard the break in his own voice, swallowed, pulled himself together, and started again. 'I don't like you screwing around with your life, and I _don't_ like cleaning blood off your coat every other day. From now on you act like there's someone who cares whether you live or die, am I clear?'

'Clear.' Jack's voice was muffled.

'Good.' Ianto raised his hand high and brought it down with a loud smack on Jack's backside.

* * *

Gwen tapped her foot as she waited for the Hub's door to roll back. She'd only been gone half an hour and now she was back, much to her annoyance, because apparently she couldn't remember to take her phone home with her. She let out an annoyed breath as she made her way across to her work station, hoping she'd still be home in time to cook dinner for Rhys as she'd planned. Not that she had anything fancy prepared, but Rhys always appreciated her classic sausages and mash.

A sharp noise stopped her in her tracks and she shifted immediately into a defensive position. She was fairly certain it wasn't a gunshot, but beyond that she hadn't got a clue. It was followed by two more identical sounds and then, to her relief, by a low, firm, male voice that had to be either Jack or Ianto's. She couldn't make out the words, but they didn't sound panicked or scared. Still, she should probably check it out, and it sounded like it was coming from Jack's office.

Gwen edged her way as quietly as she could up towards the office, her body tense and ready to attack if needed. But as she got closer, she started to realise what the noises resembled. And she thought, maybe… no, she was pretty sure. They were slaps. Steady slaps of flesh on flesh. _Was someone getting spanked?_

Gwen felt an unexpected rush of blood to the base of her stomach. The thought of Jack and Ianto doing that was shockingly arousing. It must be a sex game, right? With Jack involved, it had to be. Or…or maybe it was a discipline thing. Ianto had been looking awfully sulky at the end of the day – maybe Jack was bringing him in line. She could picture Ianto leaning over Jack's desk or bending across Jack's knees, Jack slapping his hand down on Ianto's naked, rapidly reddening flesh, Ianto squirming and begging… Gwen swallowed, her mouth dry, heart pounding. She'd often felt something stir within her when Jack was at his sternest, but she'd never imagined him quite like that before, and it was a revelation. She had to see it. And even though the likelihood of there being any threat seemed low now, she still slipped up to stand next to Jack's office door. And she silently raised her eyes and thanked whoever might be listening up there that the door was open a crack. She pushed herself up against the doorframe and sneaked a look.

What she saw made her world shift underneath her.

Jack – _Captain_ Jack Harkness, leader, hero, card-carrying saver-of-the-world, was stretched out across Ianto Jones' lap, his trousers pooled messily around his ankles, his right arm twisted up into the small of his back and held there firmly, his left hand splayed across the floor and his eyes screwed up in pain. And Ianto was _spanking_ him, smacking the tops of Jack's thighs, which were as rosy red as his butt.

Gwen became aware that her mouth was hanging open – she wasn't entirely sure whether it was in disbelief or arousal – and she snapped it shut. She knew she should leave, but she couldn't take her eyes off the deep red colour of Jack's backside, or the controlling way Ianto had him pulled against his stomach, or the way that Jack's feet were tapping an uncomfortable rhythm on the office floor as he tried to keep still. He was making little mewling sounds of pain and starting to shudder, and she suddenly realised he wasn't far from tears. Ianto, for his part, looked almost as distressed.

'I don't know how to make you understand this Jack,' he said, stopping the spanking for a moment and running his hand along Jack's back. Gwen moved back a little to make sure he wouldn't see her if he looked up.

'I do, do understand, Ianto I do,' Jack said, his voice shaking.

'That's what you said last time.' Ianto sounded tired and sad. 'I think we need to take this a little further.'

Gwen noticed Jack squirm at those words. 'Nooo…I've had enough. Can't we just go downstairs and you can kiss it better?'

Ianto's jaw clenched. 'No sex, Jack, I told you! Up, now.' He took his hands off Jack and nudged him up. Jack stood awkwardly and sniffed.

'Over the desk,' Ianto instructed.

From her vantage point, Gwen couldn't see Jack's face but she saw his shoulders fall and slump a little at those words. He trudged over to the desk and in what seemed to be a practised move, folded himself across it, his head resting on his arms, and his butt sticking up invitingly. Gwen heard her own breath catch, but Jack and Ianto seemed in a world of their own. She watched Ianto follow Jack to the desk, ghosted a touch across Jack's hip, and then settled his hand softly on Jack's back, before picking up the wooden ruler on the desk.

Something inside Gwen clenched and she was certain she hadn't been this turned on for a long time. But she was still struggling to understand why Jack would let this happen. He could stop it if he wanted, she knew.

Ianto turned the ruler in his hand – adjusting to its weight, Gwen presumed – then raised it and snapped it down across the fullest part of Jack's backside. Jack stayed remarkably still, but she could see him clench a little and could hear a sharp intake of breath. Ianto struck him a second time and a third, and she could see darker red lines forming in response. Then Ianto moved down to the thighs and landed three stripes in quick succession, finally drawing a sob from Jack.

Gwen heard the ruler clatter down onto the desk and watched as Ianto pulled Jack up, wrapped his arms around him and whispered things she couldn't hear into his hair. Jack clung to him, muttering, 'Sorry, sorry, sorry'.

Ianto drew back a little and smoothed Jack's hair away from his face. 'No more needless risks, OK?' he asked, with a heartrending tenderness in his voice. Jack just nodded and buried his head in Ianto's shoulder, and Gwen watched him relax and melt into the younger man. Standing there, intertwined, they looked… Gwen swallowed again, and suddenly realised it was her heart that was clenching now. They looked in love.

She backed up quietly, guiltily, knowing she'd intruded on something more important than she'd imagined.

* * *

'Ianto. Ianto! Are you awake?'

Ianto forced his eyes open and tried to adjust to the darkness til he could see Jack's face looming over him.

'What is it Jack?'

'I can't sleep. My ass hurts.' Jack grinned winningly.

Ianto rolled his eyes. 'Well whose fault is that?'

'Yours,' Jack said easily. 'But it's past midnight!'

Ianto struggled to figure out what that was supposed to mean. 'So?'

'It's a new day. And my punishment's over now right? You didn't say anything about it carrying on til tomorrow?'

'Right…' Ianto could see where this was going.

'So…can we have sex now?' Jack grinned even wider, adding the puppy-dog eyes.

Ianto sighed. He had to admit, it was kind of adorable. And kind of impossible to say no to.


End file.
